Mbeki Calls On Sudan And South Sudan To Sort Out Differences
South Sudan President Salva Kiir (R) and Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir shake hands at the State House in Juba on April 12, 2013.
The Head of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel, Thabo Mbeki, on Saturday held closed-door talks with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir in Juba, seeking South Sudan’s commitment to the full implementation of the Cooperation Agreements signed with Sudan last year.
Mbeki’s surprise visit happened after he also met the Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al Bashir in Khartoum.
His visits aimed at increasing AU’s pressure on the two countries to sort out the outstanding matters of the Cooperation Agreement came just after a high-level talks between President Kiir and Bashir last Tuesday in Khartoum – a meeting that scaled up the implementation of the Cooperation Agreements.
South Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Barnaba Marial in a statement said Mbeki visit aimed at bettering efforts on the implementation of the Cooperation Agreement.
He however, could not detail the talks of the two leaders – President Kiir and Mbeki.
He told UN’s Radio Miraya that South Sudan reiterated its efforts to the full implementation of the Cooperation Agreements without any precondition.
“The Republic of South Sudan is completely committed to the implementation of the Cooperation Agreement without any precondition,” Marial said.
He termed the Saturday Sudan’s aerial bombings on South Sudan as “unfortunate” and said it won’t affect any effort between Juba and Khartoum in bettering their ties.
“I don’t think it will jeopardize the courage,” Marial said.
“We as a responsible government we will investigate this bombing that has taken place. We condemn such acts but these do not deter us. It does not stop us from going ahead with new spirit of making peace and implementing Cooperation Agreement with the Republic of Sudan in improving our communication with them, improving the exchange of trade,” Marial said.
Signed last year in September, the Cooperation Agreement spells out how best the two long term foe nations can resolve the remaining post secession issues of the then Cooperation Agreement stroke in 2005.
The deal which comprises of nine packs, its signing by the heads of the two countries came after South Sudan and Sudan reached a brink of war. Its implementation since signing has remained challenging.
Agencies
About Post Author
